FBI: More than 100 school threats in Louisiana in past month

By Associated Press -

3/12/18 7:30 PM

NEW ORLEANS — Authorities have investigated at least 106 threats of violence in or near schools in Louisiana since the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Florida high school, state police and the FBI said Monday. The news came as the University of New Orleans was reopening its campus following the arrest of a suspect in one such threat.

Nicholas Heard, 20, was arrested without incident at his home, said New Orleans police spokesman Beau Tidwell.

Police on Monday said Heard told fellow students he would shoot several people on campus.

The university told employees not to report to work Monday and students in on-campus housing were told to remain in their rooms. Once the arrest was made, authorities made preparations to re-open the campus late Monday afternoon and re-start campus dining services.

Heard was being held at the New Orleans jail and bond had not been set as of Monday night. Online jail records did not indicate whether he has an attorney.

A joint news release from the FBI and Louisiana State Police said that in the other cases, the ages of those arrested ranged from 11 to 28. Most were juveniles.

“As shown by the number of arrests already effected by Louisiana law enforcement agencies, school threats are being taken seriously, and a zero tolerance policy is in place,” the statement said.

After the threat was lifted at UNO, its president, John Nicklow, said campus and city police, U.S. Marshals, and police from other nearby campuses had assisted the school. “I am also grateful to our students for their patience, cooperation and even words of encouragement that some offered during this ordeal,” Nicklow wrote.

Also Monday, authorities said a 14-year-old was arrested in connection with an unrelated threat at a New Orleans public school. Officials said the unidentified teen was arrested Saturday, adding it came a day after threats of a shooting at Dolores T. Aaron School came to light. The unidentified teen is accused of terrorizing and disruption of the operation of a school. Police said officers were in constant communication with officials at that pre-K through 8th grade charter school to ensure student safety.

The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.